As well as billycarts racing down Queensberry St., there is a live music stage with Afro-funk, Brazilian groove, community choir and dances and hip-hop jams. After a pandemic-enforced break of two years, the Spring Fling Festival has been retired. However, in its place is this vibrant billycart race and street festival. The event is designed to celebrate and reflect the diverse communities of Nort
h and West Melbourne. Produced by The Centre, the event has many elements:
Billy Cart Race:
The centrepiece of the event, reflecting the neighbourhood’s rich automotive history. In backyards, in scout halls, at the Peter Mac Mens Shed and at Melbourne North Service Centre, teams have been designing and building their speed machines. There are three days a week that the Mens Shed is open for billycart builders, and they have lots of 12mm ply. Register for the race or book in for the maker sessions. If the standard registration cost is an issue, use the Promo Code MAKEITCHEAP on check-out until 15 October for 75% discount. And for those who haven’t been able to make a vehicle, there is still the opportunity to race down the hill in one of our “house billycarts”. Music and Dance:
Melbourne’s most exciting, eclectic, emerging and talented musicians, with grooves from across the globe. Ethio-funksters Black Jesus Experience leads a line-up that also includes hip-hop from L to R Dance, South African a capella with Makepisi (pictured), smooth Brazilian sounds from Alcides Neto, anarchic BBQ punk with The Burnt Sausages, DJ Camillo and DJ General Feelings, Sing NoW! Community Choir, Vietnamese and Chinese dance groups, singer-songwriters Yvonne Martin, Sian Brook and Alana Shrives, kindie-rockers The Mudcakes and much more. Cirque Culinaire:
Find out what’s cooking in your local community. See the food get prepared, hear the stories behind the cook and taste what gets prepared. The Queensberry Cup menu includes Vietnamese rice paper rolls with Trang, baklava with Panayiotis, Palestinian baba ganoush with Aheda and delicious Somali food. The Famous Village Dog Show:
An old Spring Fling favourite! Local residents bring their dogs and participate in fun, light-hearted competition. Special prizes for families and dogs that dress up alike. Great prizes thanks to local pet shop Paw Principality (local pet shop), and supporting the stellar work of Lort Smith Animal Hospital. Register here, or just come on the day. For the Kids:
As well as the thrill of watching billycarts careen down Queensberry St., there are plenty for kids to get involved with. Who doesn’t love face-painting, plus the Games Alleyway features La Boca, a unique collaborative box-building game, City of Melbourne’s Library Van, a range of arts activities and juggling workshops with Circus Nexus. Plus lots of fun with The Mudcakes at 1:30pm. Food & Drink: The local festival area is replete with diverse, quality food and beverage options. We’re supporting local traders and community groups. Get your tasty treats from Mr. Tucker, snag a snag from North Melbourne Rotary, Somali Womens Development Association, vareniki from Ukrainian Association, plus everything Errol St. has to offer. For those looking for a drink of the grown-up variety, local gin distillery, Here’s Looking at You Kid is operating a bar and launching a brand new gin, Errol St.
